GUAY HOPES TO RECAPTURE MAGIC
Erik Guay will have his own fan club when the men's World Cup downhill ski season opens with a race Saturday at Lake Louise, Alta.
About 20 family and friends will be on hand hoping Guay, back on snow after a knee injury, can recapture the magic from his second-place finish in last year's downhill. "I hope they're cheering for something," the Mont Tremblant, Que., native said with a chuckle from Panorama, B.C., where the Canadian men's team was training.
"I'm happy to start at Lake Louise. I'm familiar with it. I know the course from top to bottom and I'm confident on it."
Guay, 23, saw his season go from triumph to tatters in just a few weeks last year.
He made history by becoming the first Canadian to climb on the podium at Lake Louise after his second-place finish. Just two weeks later he tore up his knee during training for a downhill in Val Gardena, Italy
A season that was showing so much promise was quickly erased. He had long months of rehabilitation ahead of him.
"It was really frustrating," said Guay, who showed his potential with sixth-place finishes in downhill and super-giant slalom at the 2003 world alpine ski championships at St. Mortiz, Switzerland.
"At the beginning I didn't know what to expect. It was my first knee injury. I didn't know how long it would be and how much trouble it is and how hard it is to come back.
"When I hurt myself I wasn't really bummed or depressed or anything like that. For sure, if it happened again now I would be pretty hurting."
It was near the end of July before Guay and teammate Jan Hudec, who also blew out a knee, were able to resume skiing.
While Guay still feels some pain from a bad bone bruise he says the knee feels strong
"Since August I've made good improvements and I've been skiing well," he said. "I don't think it's that much of a factor any more. I don't think about it too much."
The men begin training Wednesday. A super-G will be held Sunday.
For Guay, healing physically is one thing. Mentally being ready to test yourself against the best in the world, while hurling down a mountain at 90 kilometres an hour on a solid sheet of ice, is another.
"Training is always different," he said. "It's not as steep, not as long, not as challenging. In summer training I felt confident I could ski a course with 100 per cent aggression. Racing, I don't know yet. I don't think it will be too much of a problem."
Getting his World Cup legs under him at Lake Louise is a bonus for Guay.
"Typically you have some courses you just click well with and every time you go back there everything runs smoothly and usually goes well," said the 2002 Canadian downhill and super-G champion.
"I really wouldn't want to begin my season on a really hard, challenging hill. I think that would be pretty hard on my head."
As much as he would like to have his family and friends celebrate a top-three finish, Guay warned they may have to be content applauding him simply finishing the race.
"I did miss nine months of skiing so the other teams made huge advancement since then," he said. "I think (placing) in the top 20 is a good result for me. From there I will just sort of build on it and improve in every race."
Ken Read, Alpine Canada's president, has set a goal this season of five World Cup podium finishes and two medals at the 2005 world championships in Bormio, Italy.
"There is a good ambience on the team," he said. "It's made a big difference. Before you would go to a race thinking you don't belong."